Vintage props

[George Truett]

On a whim I bought a big box of old props, just wondering if anyone knows anything about them.  From the pictures, they looked like some might work for C/L, after holding them I'm not sure.  The bulk of them are 3 different props, one labeled Air-O-Stunt, looks to be a 9x4.  One labeled Air-O-Flite looks like 11.5x4.  Last one labeled Flo-Torque looks to be about a 12x4.  The Air-O-Stunt and Flite feel stiff enough for a modern engine, the Flo-Torque not so much.  They were advertised as Spark or Ignition props, anyone remember these?   George

[Dave_Trible]

Hope you will heed a little warning.  The Flo Torque is mahogany and dangerous to try to run.  I acquired a batch of them a while back and have tried to run them on the bench.  Two chucked the blades.  All the rest save this one went in the trash.  The others are probably OK to run.

Dave

[Mike Keville]

Good advice!  Display ONLY on Old Time models.  Do NOT attempt to run them.

[FLOYD CARTER]

The Air-O prop looks a lot like the original Y&O prop (before Clarence Bull and Brodak). Thinking in those days favored a wide blade to properly load the spark ignition engines at a lower speed, which usually peaked out at about 8K RPM.

These are the original Y&O props of the late '40s.  Wide blade and thin hub (which broke easily).  The two outside props are mohogany.  The others are beech wood.  Some others were made of maple, depending on what was available.

These props could be the very ones I sanded for Henry Orwick back in 1949, on weekends after school.  I think I got 5 cents per prop, and I could earn $2 or $3 each week!

Floyd

[Robert Zambelli]

I just came across this great post.    
So, I dug through the junk box and found some interesting old props.
Didn't even know I had them!

Left to right:
Unknown 14"
Unknown aluminum left hand pitch, 14"
Ashland
Mercury
Stofex
Cardinal
Flo-Torque
Aero-Super
Scamper
O&R
Air-O-Line
Snafu
Hawk
Scamper
Invader
Speedway
Testors
Rite-Pitch
X-Pert
Supr-Scru
X-Cell Speed

I had no idea that there were so many manufacturers!

Bob Z.

[De Hill]

Hi Bob,

The 14" Aluminum prop looks like a GHQ factory supplied prop.